Ulster SFC quarter-final

CAVAN 0-13 ANTRIM 0-9

By Paul Fitzpatrick at Kingspan Breffni

Cavan were pushed all the way by a stubborn Antrim side but eventually came good to advance to the Ulster SFC semi-final.

Antrim’s record in this competition may be patchy but three of their five most recent wins in it have come against the Breffni men and they had also won five of the last six meetings between the sides in all senior competitions so Lenny Harbinson’s men were probably travelling south with a degree of confidence despite the apparent gulf between the teams on league standings.

And at half-time, when Harbinson’s men were ahead by the odd point in 11, they would certainly have been entitled to be very content with how things were going, with their defensive system negating Cavan, who didn’t help themselves by recording six wides and dropping a further three short in the opening 35 minutes.

However, as the game wore on, Cavan’s superior fitness came to the fore; a tired Antrim were turned over repeatedly and the hosts belatedly punished them, running through for some well-taken scores as they finished the game as deserving four-point victors.

Antrim led by 0-4 to 0-3 at the end of a closely contested first quarter. Cavan opened a two-point lead with a punched point from Oisin Pierson and a well-taken score from Oisin Kiernan but Antrim were level by the ninth minute through Dermot McAleese and a free from veteran Paddy Cunningham.

Another experienced Saffron, Mick McCann – one of four survivors on the Antrim panel from the side who beat Cavan in the 2009 Ulster SFC semi-final – strolled through for the next which was cancelled out by Ciaran Brady, who later picked up the Man of the Match award, but Antrim were much more economical.

McCann and Cunningham combined to set Conor Murray up for an easy attacking mark and when Cunningham curled in from the left win via the upright, the visitors were two up and growing in confidence.

Cormac Timoney landed his first score at senior level to settle Cavan’s nerves but the missed opportunities kept mounting up. In injury time, half-back Brady landed his second to cut the gap to the minimum at the interval but Antrim will have been much the happier going for their tea.

The third quarter was similarly attritional. Antrim stubbornly stuck to their system which was always going to require them to convert a high proportion of the chances they created.

They succeeded in carving the hosts open on four occasions but were left to rue three poor wides either side of the second water break and a missed goal opportunity for Patrick Gallagher – denied by a super Ray Galligan save – which could well have been enough for the upset.

As it was, Cavan, while making mistakes, worked hard throughout and got their reward. After a patient build-up, Killian Clarke levelled matters and a free from Gearoid McKiernan, after good work from half-time sub Thomas Galligan, saw Mickey Graham’s side hit the front for the first time since the ninth minute.

Antrim visibly tired as the game wore on and Cavan stretched their legs when needed. A turnover from Jason McLoughlin began a flowing move which impressive rookie Thomas Edward Donohoe finished with an attacking mark and Oisin Kiernan added the next after a run from Galligan to put three between them, 0-9 to 0-6.

Tomás McCann replied with a free before McKiernan made a huge fetch on Cavan’s kick-out and pointed.

Donohoe and Patrick McBride traded frees as Cavan found themselves reduced to 13 men following black cards for Kiernan and Gerry Smith (Killian Brady had picked one up earlier).

Conor Murray had Antrim’s last point on 69 minutes but Cavan finished strongly, Martin Reilly and Killian Clarke coming up with crucial interceptions as Donohoe and McKiernan rounded off the scoring.

Scorers for Cavan: Thomas Edward Donohoe 0-3 (1m, 1f), Gearoid McKiernan 0-3 (1f), Oisin Kiernan 0-2, Ciaran Brady 0-2, Killian Clarke 0-1, Cormac Timoney 0-1, Oisin Pierson 0-1

Scorers for Antrim: Conor Murray 0-2 (1m), Patrick Cunningham 0-2 (1f), Mick McCann 0-1, Kevin Quinn 0-1, Dermot McAleese 0-1, Patrick McBride 0-1 (f), Tomás McCann 0-1 (f)

CAVAN: Raymond Galligan, Jason McLoughlin, Killian Clarke, Killian Brady, Gerard Smith, Ciaran Brady, Luke Fortune, Cormac Timoney, Padraig Faulkner, Martin Reilly, Gearoid McKiernan, Oisin Kiernan, Oisin Pierson, Stephen Smith, Cormac O’Reilly. Subs: Thomas Galligan for S Smith (ht), Thomas Edward Donohoe for Pierson (41), Chris Conroy for K Brady (46), Niall Murray for O’Reilly (48)

ANTRIM: Michael Byrne, Patrick Gallagher, Declan Lynch, Kevin O’Boyle, Peter Healy, James McAuley, Niall Delargy, Colum Duffin, Mick McCann, Kevin Quinn, Mark Sweeney, Dermot McAleese, Patrick Cunningham, Conor Murray, Patrick McBride.

Subs: Paddy McCormack for Quinn (ht), Odhran Eastwood for Duffin (50), Tomás McCann for Cunningham (50), Mark Jordan for McAleese (56), Ruairi McCann for T McCann (61)

Ref: Paul Faloon